Video: Grammar-school pole dancers?

posted at 12:15 pm on May 16, 2010 by Ed Morrissey

Every few months, the media likes to serve up some sort of scare story to parents — whether it’s sexting, rainbow bracelets, or whatever. It usually turns out that the panic hardly fits the actual facts. In this case, though, the story appears to shame parents into paying attention to the choices they make for their daughters. In an age of overly sexualized youth, did the World of Dance competition really need eight- and nine-year-old girls doing a routine that seems more at home in a strip club than on a playground? ABC News reported on the story of the WoD YouTube video that went viral:

The parents fired back later, saying that the video had been taken out of context:

It’s hard to see a context in which the choices of outfits and the grinding moves on the dance floor could be appropriate for girls of this age. The father wants to blame this on YouTube, claiming that the dance routine wasn’t meant for millions of people to see. That dance routine wouldn’t have been appropriate for a room of 20 people, let alone 2 million. It’s not the publication of the routine and the costumes, it’s the routine and the costumes themselves. Blaming YouTube is like saying you’re only sorry you got caught.

It wasn’t long ago that this very impulse was skewered in the otherwise-overrated Little Miss Sunshine, when the misanthropic grandfather of a girl the same age as these dancer choreographed a bump-and-grind routine for his granddaughter to do in a beauty contest. The film assumed that the audience would get the satirical point about objectification taken to a reductio ad absurdum. Now that real life has mimicked art, maybe the producers overestimated the intelligence of their audience.

My granddaughter will turn eight in two weeks. I cannot imagine going to one of her dance recitals and seeing either the costumes or the grinding routines displayed in this video. Girls don’t need adults encouraging them to sexualize themselves for the entertainment of others; they have enough pressures on them already in that direction. The parents and adults involved in this dance should have been looking out for their long-term interests, not imposing a pole-dance routine on them that they cannot possibly understand.

Chris Rock once joked that the first job of any father was to keep his daughter off of the pole. Maybe he should have a chat with these parents.

Update: Rewrote the third paragraph to be more concise.

Update II: Cassy Fiano has a second video of the dance troupe, and concludes that the first isn’t out of context at all.

Chris Rock once joked that the first job of any father was to keep his daughter off of the pole. Maybe he should have a chat with these parents.

heh, as the father of three girls, this’d be funny if it weren’t so true. The parents of these girls should be ashamed. My daughter is a dancer and we have vetoed costumes based on the “too much skin, too little costume” criteria. Needless to say, no matter how small the costume, the price only goes up, and the quality goes down. The duty of these parents is to protect their kids, and they’re failing.

Ya gotta wonder how some folks can incrementally ‘yeah, I guess that’s ok’ to the point that when it comes to other folks attention a bit farther down the line, the reaction is invariably “What the frell? – oh that’s just wrong” because it’s so blatantly outside what should be a rational norm. . .and the overt sexualization of pre-pubescent girls is kinda sort one of those areas. Ya think? Unfortunately, it appears the adults involved aren’t.

My daughter wanted to cheer for a competitive cheer group but after seeing their skimpy little costumes it was a definite NO! Their cheers weren’t much different than what these girls are doing either.

For these parents to say its’ been taken out of context is ridiculous. Those LITTLE girls were bumping an grinding. Are my own eyes fooling me? No!

It’s bad enough that this type of “pop culture” is everywhere but do we parents have to encourage it?

I would be willing to bet big money with absolutely no fear of losing a dime of it that these parents who defend this type of insanity also could not see what all the shouting was about when teenager Miley Cyrus was recently filmed doing a lapdance routine with a 44 year old man.

Chris Rock once joked that the first job of any father was to keep his daughter off of the pole. Maybe he should have a chat with these parents.

An attitude adjustment is definitely called for. The father needs to be taken out behind the woodshed for a session with the board of education. At one time in our history the real men of the community would have taken care of this.

I agree with the parents. The costumes aren’t really more provocative than gymnastics are probably other sports these days. It is just the adult version of the dance that has the sexual connotations. The music is popular and engaging, and that is what the kids will want to dance to.

The parents are just going to have to be extra vigilant when the kids get a little older that the cultural aspects don’t get out of hand. But I suspect that the kids high level of dedication to this activity will express itself as other kinds of dedication and effort as they get older.

Watched the original video via the link Rebar provided above and what’s even more disturbing than the girls dancing that way is the comments. The vast majority of them seem to be praising the fact that these seven year-olds did such a good job at it.

The parents are just going to have to be extra vigilant when the kids get a little older that the cultural aspects don’t get out of hand. But I suspect that the kids high level of dedication to this activity will express itself as other kinds of dedication and effort as they get older.

Now before I comment let me make clear I am not excusing pedophiles but part of the reason in the rise in child molestation is that we as a society sexualize children especially girls at a younger and younger age. Stuff like this “dance Routine” only fuel the fantasies of the offenders. Things like this always make me think of that song by Dishwalla – Pretty babies. Parents need to understand that they play a very important part in not just protecting their children but instilling a sense of value that is not defined by sexual worth.

If those PARENTS can’t see what’s wrong, perhaps it is time to MANDATE a license BEFORE becoming a parent.

GarandFan on May 16, 2010 at 12:54 PM

Someone once remarked that some parents shouldn’t be allowed to raise their own children, a view that viscerally troubled me at the time. But it’s incidents like this that cause me to challenge my own position. This borders on child abuse, if you ask me.

Sad for all involved. For the girls who don’t have parents who will teach them modesty. For the parents who are clueless as to why this is so inappropriate. For society that is suffering because so many young girls have sex without being ready for the natural consequences.

I was a competitive dancer from the time I was a little girl until I finished high school. Dance competitions are hotbeds of underage, parent-approved skankitude. My studio was MUCH more conservative, but even then sometimes the instructors (not for my class, but others – my class had a very involved group of parents who didn’t stand for sleaze) toed the line with certain costumes and moves.

I have seen five year olds dressed worse than this, doing similar moves, at national competitions, getting decorated in medals and handed trophies.

I should add, in case it wasn’t clear – I totally condemn this stuff. I could hardly stand it while I was in dance, and it seemed very much like we were encouraged to behave that way and dance that way for an “edgy” factor.

If you’ve ever seen ‘Toddlers and tiaras” then this will not surprise you nor will the father’s comment.These kids cannot do wrong in their parents eyes and as with t/t,in my eyes it looks like the parents are trying to live out their dreams thru their kids.Unfortunately,these kids grow up to be very high maintenance and an attitude of everything being about them,never pleasant to be around.

Have you ever checked out the show “Toddlers and Tiaras”
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Hey,didn’t see your comment:)guess we are likeminded!I agree,I watched and it made me sick what little (monsters) they are creating.Sorry,I can go off on this until doomsday.I have been around adults who think life revolves around them and if you go back and look at their parents,it makes total sense.

Jvette on May 16, 2010 at 1:24 PM
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Amen! I think the first thing that comes to mind is how the outside of the person is the only thing that matters.These little girls will always need the assurance that they are pretty etc. Telling a young girl that her heart matters more than her looks may not be as flashy but she will reap the benefits later such as a caring person,a person that others want to be around.

The parents are just going to have to be extra vigilant when the kids get a little older that the cultural aspects don’t get out of hand.
pedestrian on May 16, 2010 at 12:51 PM

When those little girls are older their parents will be hosting sex parties for the local teens and handing out condoms before the festivities start under the rationale that “the kids are gonna do it anyway, so they might as well do it at home and protected.”

These are adolescent parents who have never grown up and try to relive a sexualized childhood through their children. Don’t expect them to suddenly become responsible.

When parents allow their children’s talent to be exposed in the wrong light it is disheartening. These young girls are amazing dancers, but you can’t focus on that because of the bad judgement of the adults making decisions for them.

My nieces grew up in competitive dance groups like this one. The difference, not a single parent at the studio would have allowed them to wear revealing costumes or perform a routine like this at any age. I actually had a conversation with their teacher at a competition after seeing a routine like this. She replied, “Even if I wanted to do a routine like that, which I don’t, my parents would never allow it.”

The parents are just going to have to be extra vigilant when the kids get a little older that the cultural aspects don’t get out of hand.
pedestrian on May 16, 2010 at 12:51 PM

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Clearly you are not a parent. Perhaps you are a parent who’s children have not hit puberty yet.

By the time kids get that age, no amount of vigilence will help keep the kids getting out of hand. By that time, it is too late. They’ve been out of hand since childhood, because you raised them to be out of hand.

If you’re that kind of parent, you’ll probably be smoking pot with them and letting them drink alcohol in your house.

As the father of four, the parents of these girls should be investigated. This is some sick stuff even for our out of control culture. Using children to create seductive gestures is perverted, but Mohammad would approve.

Great dancers, but wrong outfits and moves for young children. This entire routine could have easily been modified for these talented little girls. My girls were in dance classes when they were young and there were plenty of dance troops doing this stuff. It’s up to the parents to censor lewdness and exposure to sexually explicit material.

Since even mainstream stores like Macy*s or Sears have been selling thong underwear in children’s sizes for a few years now, the continued sexualization of children just keeps progressing to the next levels, pushing further and further along.

There is no possible context for this to have been taken out of, and saying it just looks bad because it was on You-Tube is as stupid as it gets (is robbing a 7-11 ok if it’s not caught on a security camera?)

If I taught the neighborhood kids that routine, I’d (rightfully/hopefully) be arrested.

My daughter has been in dance routines for years now, they’re all cute and age-appropriate (ie no stripper moves/bumping and grinding). You can bet that if I saw that kind of routine she’d be pulled out of that studio so fast the vacuum she’d create would pull 3 other students out as well.

If you’re that kind of parent, you’ll probably be smoking pot with them and letting them drink alcohol in your house.

Get a clue.

surfhut on May 16, 2010 at 2:18 PM

I don’t have daughters, but I do have two teenage boys. Since I work at home there is really no chance for my kids to get in any serious trouble. In the drug and alcohol area, I tend towards the Puritan side of things. But in the area of athletics of young girls, I defer to their parents. In this case the parent seemed to be reasonable people and the kids were enthusiastic.

I watched the videos Ed provided because it sounded like it could be an interesting example of media manipulation of something taken out of context. What those so called news reports turned out to be was highly manipulative exploitation pieces that flipped rapidly back and forth between a highly sexualized Beyonce video and relatively harmless scenes of some young girls dancing. The custumes typical attire for girls that age in a variety of athletic endeavers such as swimming, volleyball, and apart from the bare midriff, gymnatics, cheerleading, and so on.

The moves the girls were doing that I saw were a combination of moves I have seen in ballet and African dance and would be perfectly normal in those cultural contexts. Perhaps there was something in the youtube video, which I didn’t watch because I really don’t care, since the room was for the girls and their parents and is none of my business.

Generally I don’t understand why parents of girls allow them to dress that way, but its up to those parents. The girls have their God given bodies and they shouldn’t be ashamed of them, and I’m really not comfortable with the notion of controlling young girls’ innocent enjoyment of dance because there might be perverts somewhere else who get a hold of a video.

Kids have a natural desire to imitate the behavior of those around them. Beyonce type dancing is pervasive and is not going away. Preventing the kids from wearing what passes for normal these days for normal female athletic wear will just dampen their enthusiasm and will just lead to obesity. Ultimately its up to the parents to draw the line, and I don’t see anything to really be outraged about here.

I wonder if that guy will ever say to the police, “You’re completely misconstruing the context in which I had sex with my eight year old daughter.”

snaggletoothie on May 16, 2010 at 4:19 PM

If that situation bore any resemblance to the reality of this case, it might make sense. The only sexual aspect of this is the intermixing the girls dancing with the original Beyonce video and then broadcasting that by the media, for their own profit motive.

All they were missing for that routine was the poles and the guys with sunglasses on putting money in the lingerie they were calling costumes. Maybe one of the girls could do a wonderfully coreographed lapdance…it’s not sexual after all, when a young girl does it. Sure, if these were busty women, then it would be wrong.

OH and for what it’s worth, I don’t think this crap is appropriate for girls/women of any age. Why the heck do we need to be such a sex crazed nation? Why is it ok for girls/women to act and dress like prostitutes? It doesn’t need to be in music videos, chewing gum ads, hamburger ads, none of that crap. We are truly turning into a moral cesspit, where just about everything goes…everything but having moral objections that is.

I don’t have daughters, but I do have two teenage boys. Since I work at home there is really no chance for my kids to get in any serious trouble. In the drug and alcohol area, I tend towards the Puritan side of things. But in the area of athletics of young girls, I defer to their parents. In this case the parent seemed to be reasonable people and the kids were enthusiastic.

I watched the videos Ed provided because it sounded like it could be an interesting example of media manipulation of something taken out of context. What those so called news reports turned out to be was highly manipulative exploitation pieces that flipped rapidly back and forth between a highly sexualized Beyonce video and relatively harmless scenes of some young girls dancing. The custumes typical attire for girls that age in a variety of athletic endeavers such as swimming, volleyball, and apart from the bare midriff, gymnatics, cheerleading, and so on.

The moves the girls were doing that I saw were a combination of moves I have seen in ballet and African dance and would be perfectly normal in those cultural contexts. Perhaps there was something in the youtube video, which I didn’t watch because I really don’t care, since the room was for the girls and their parents and is none of my business.

Generally I don’t understand why parents of girls allow them to dress that way, but its up to those parents. The girls have their God given bodies and they shouldn’t be ashamed of them, and I’m really not comfortable with the notion of controlling young girls’ innocent enjoyment of dance because there might be perverts somewhere else who get a hold of a video.

Kids have a natural desire to imitate the behavior of those around them. Beyonce type dancing is pervasive and is not going away. Preventing the kids from wearing what passes for normal these days for normal female athletic wear will just dampen their enthusiasm and will just lead to obesity. Ultimately its up to the parents to draw the line, and I don’t see anything to really be outraged about here.

pedestrian on May 16, 2010 at 4:03 PM

BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!! Thank you for providing me with my giggle of the day. Yes, you probably are involved with your kids more than some crap parent, but if you are seriously deluded that because you are working at home that will somehow make your kids unable to get into trouble, then please respond back. I had the original helicopter parents, both of mine were home with me everyday from the time I was 3 on up. And they were retired. And Baptist. I’d be glad to share some of the things I got up to. Wanna hear how I went to see the Sex Pistols at a bar with my 19 yr old BF when I was in 7th grade? I wasn’t allowed to ride in cars with teens or date until 17. ;-)

These parents use some of the most twisted logic to justify allowing their daughters to dance like strippers. First, it does not matter that the context of the dance was at a competition and not intended to be seen by a wider audience. The overtly sexual moves these girls are preforming are inappropriate regardless. Second, the mother claims the daughter has not seen the Beyonce video but yet her daughter is dancing like she wants to have sex with someone. Third, the absurd idea that the Victoria Secret like outfits are to help with movement. It is not analogous to going out swimming, girls who swim at this age wear one piece swim suits that cover their bodies. These parents ought to be ashamed of themselves. It figures that this took place in California. Maybe they will be porn stars when they get older? They already have the moves down.

My daughter has been dancing since she was 5 years old. She is now a senior in high school, about to graduate. For the last 4 years, she has been attending the most prestigious ballet school in the state. As part of their dance training, they also take jazz and modern dance.

As of January this year, she quit taking the jazz class because of this exact issue. The music, choreography and costumes are completely inappropriate, and that’s for 12-18 year old girls. It’s just gotten worse year after year, jazz is no longer ‘A Chorus Line’. Their competition group, which competes at the same events as the girls in this post, is even worse. My daughter was just not comfortable listening to that kind of music (have you heard the lyrics?!?!!) or dancing that choreography – at 18. It’s the same reason she wasn’t a pom at school, despite the constant pressure to do so. She calls it ‘slut dancing’ and that’s exactly what it is.

My daughter didn’t quit at my direction, she came to me to voice her concerns and ask if it was OK to quit. If you raise your daughter with the right values, she can make those determinations on her own. If she is too young to recognize the inappropriateness, the parents need to do it for her.

We are not a religious family, but even so, do not want our daughter to sell herself for sex, even just in dance. She thinks more highly of herself than that. It’s too bad more parents don’t teach their daughters the same lesson.

Why do I feel like I committed a felony just by watching that video. This is as repellent as the video of 6 year-olds re-creating Scarface.

Chris Rock once joked that the first job of any father was to keep his daughter off of the pole.

We have 3 daughters; the eldest is 7. My husband frequently quotes Chris Rock. Sometimes I feel like American culture has become a big sweaty pervert in a trench coat and our girls are being fed to the beast.

I watched the video without the sound. Two observations: First, those girls are quite talented and I was impressed with their abilities. Second, every pedophile who has watched that video just added it to his kiddie porn collection. Disgusting.

One of these days you’re all going to figure out that the liberals have taken over all the teachers unions and what they want to do is make sluts and whores of all your daughters. The sooner they can get them pregnant with a fatherless baby and into the “entitlement” line or to “Planned Parenthood”, the sooner they’ll lock in their votes for life.